1. Was insulin shock therapy a viable clinical treatment?
The insulin shock therapy is a treatment where the patient is repeatedly injected with large supplements of insulin for weeks. Despite the fact that this treatment is used mainly for schizophrenia, it had been vanished by the year 1970s in the US. In this case, in the movie THE BEAUTIFUL MIND, John Nash suffers from schizophrenia. Although the shock therapy was a cure for a physiological illness, it wasn't quite successful. (Like the ice pick lobotomy.)
2. Was John Nash an unusual case, or do you think that many schizophrenic patients can be taught to function in society with without medication?
I believe that John Nash's case was not unusual, 2% of the population suffer from Schizophrenia and it is one of the most common heart breaking diseases. People who usually Suffer from Schizophrenia tend to act abnormal, like in the film "A beautiful mind" the main character often hallucinates his own imaginative characters. The medication can make the imaginary people disappear but it cannot cure the emotions and feelings of one human being. Medication can help people suffering from schizophrenia, however, schizophrenic patients wold still cope to live in society.
3. What are the dangers and/or advantages of this type of treatment (re: insulin shock therapy)?
We saw John Nash actually receiving the treatment of insulin shock therapy. The patient who will be treated with this therapy will go through a huge excessive amount of pain. Yes, in fact it did help his mental conditions from hallunciating people. However the treatment itself has a slight possibility that the therapy might cause death, plus it doesn't always cure schizophrenia. One side effect that might occur from this therapy is Hypoglycemia. Not only may it cause hypoglycemia, there is a possibility where the brain could be damaged or also a coma.
4. What is the difference between the treatment of schizophrenia in 1960-1970 and today?
Instead of shocking people by using the insulin shock therapy, medicine was used. Unlike painful risk taking therapies that were used before, drugs have become more effective and safe. In the movie itself, Nash was treated with the IST in 1960, but started to take small pills in the 1970s. Even though the medication helped him from suffering from schizophrenia, he didn't take them because he couldn't control himself.
5. What are the various types of schizophrenia? Which would you consider the worst case to have? The least worst? Explain why for each.
There are a various type of schizophrenia, they are as follows: Catatonic type schizophrenia, Disorganized type schizophrenia, Paranoid type schizophrenia, Residual type schizophrenia, undifferentiated type schizophrenia. I would have to consider that Catatonic type is one of the worst cases to have. Patients with this type of Schizophrenia may exhibit extremes of behavior including catatonia. At times, some patients may explode into an excited, activated state marked by purposeless and repetitive movements. however, on the other side, the residual type schizophrenia are when delusions or hallucinations are present, they are not prominent, and are not accompanied with a strong effect. Therefore, it is of the least worst.
6. What treatments are being pioneered today for schizophrenia?
There are no cures for schizophrenia, it only makes it a bit better. Many drugs have recently been developed through the past 60 years. (Usually treatments are not treated before the case becomes to serious.)Instead of drugs, it is also good to see a Jungian Analytical Psychologist, because they do a lot of work with people, without the use of drugs; and they have a great deal of success.
The insulin shock therapy is a treatment where the patient is repeatedly injected with large supplements of insulin for weeks. Despite the fact that this treatment is used mainly for schizophrenia, it had been vanished by the year 1970s in the US. In this case, in the movie THE BEAUTIFUL MIND, John Nash suffers from schizophrenia. Although the shock therapy was a cure for a physiological illness, it wasn't quite successful. (Like the ice pick lobotomy.)
2. Was John Nash an unusual case, or do you think that many schizophrenic patients can be taught to function in society with without medication?
I believe that John Nash's case was not unusual, 2% of the population suffer from Schizophrenia and it is one of the most common heart breaking diseases. People who usually Suffer from Schizophrenia tend to act abnormal, like in the film "A beautiful mind" the main character often hallucinates his own imaginative characters. The medication can make the imaginary people disappear but it cannot cure the emotions and feelings of one human being. Medication can help people suffering from schizophrenia, however, schizophrenic patients wold still cope to live in society.
3. What are the dangers and/or advantages of this type of treatment (re: insulin shock therapy)?
We saw John Nash actually receiving the treatment of insulin shock therapy. The patient who will be treated with this therapy will go through a huge excessive amount of pain. Yes, in fact it did help his mental conditions from hallunciating people. However the treatment itself has a slight possibility that the therapy might cause death, plus it doesn't always cure schizophrenia. One side effect that might occur from this therapy is Hypoglycemia. Not only may it cause hypoglycemia, there is a possibility where the brain could be damaged or also a coma.
4. What is the difference between the treatment of schizophrenia in 1960-1970 and today?
Instead of shocking people by using the insulin shock therapy, medicine was used. Unlike painful risk taking therapies that were used before, drugs have become more effective and safe. In the movie itself, Nash was treated with the IST in 1960, but started to take small pills in the 1970s. Even though the medication helped him from suffering from schizophrenia, he didn't take them because he couldn't control himself.
5. What are the various types of schizophrenia? Which would you consider the worst case to have? The least worst? Explain why for each.
There are a various type of schizophrenia, they are as follows: Catatonic type schizophrenia, Disorganized type schizophrenia, Paranoid type schizophrenia, Residual type schizophrenia, undifferentiated type schizophrenia. I would have to consider that Catatonic type is one of the worst cases to have. Patients with this type of Schizophrenia may exhibit extremes of behavior including catatonia. At times, some patients may explode into an excited, activated state marked by purposeless and repetitive movements. however, on the other side, the residual type schizophrenia are when delusions or hallucinations are present, they are not prominent, and are not accompanied with a strong effect. Therefore, it is of the least worst.
6. What treatments are being pioneered today for schizophrenia?
There are no cures for schizophrenia, it only makes it a bit better. Many drugs have recently been developed through the past 60 years. (Usually treatments are not treated before the case becomes to serious.)Instead of drugs, it is also good to see a Jungian Analytical Psychologist, because they do a lot of work with people, without the use of drugs; and they have a great deal of success.